Beauty and the Beast
by ArinnaVal
Summary: Stella/Noctis interpretation of the fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast'


_**A/N: This fic is a new territory for me. It's an idea of one of my friends - Beth. She loves Stella and Noctis and make me love them too. This is another piece from my series of drabbles and fics for that couple. I have to say that it's a challenge for me.  
**_

_**Now about this fic:  
**_

_****__**Title: Fireworks  
**_

_**Author: ArinnaVal (idea - Warangel88).**_

_**Genre: Angst/Drama/Romance **_

_**Rating: T  
**_

_**Story Summary: **__** Stella/Noctis interpretation of the fairytale 'Beauty and the Beast'**_  
___**Some of the original text of the fairytale has been used in the story. For fan uses only!**___

_**Couple: **__**Stella/Noctis **_

_**Warnings: AU and possibly OOC. (UNBETAED!!!) **__**Some of the original text of the fairytale has been used in the story. For fan uses only!**_

* * *

Once upon a time…

**ONCE** upon a time, in a very far-off country, there lived a merchant who had been so fortunate in all his undertakings that he was enormously rich. As he had, however, six sons and six daughters, he found that his money was not too much to let them all have everything they fancied, as they were accustomed to do.

But one day a most unexpected misfortune befell them. Their was speedily burnt to the ground, with all the splendid furniture, the books, pictures, gold, silver, and precious goods it contained; and this was only the beginning of their troubles. All that he had left was a little house in a desolate place at least a hundred leagues from the town in which he had lived, and to this he was forced to retreat with his children, who were in despair at the idea of leading such a different life. Indeed, the daughters at first hoped that their friends, who had been so numerous while they were rich, would insist on their staying in their houses now they no longer possessed one. But they soon found that they were left alone, and that their former friends even attributed their misfortunes to their own extravagance, and showed no intention of offering them any help. So nothing was left for them but to take their departure to the cottage, which stood in the midst of a dark forest, and seemed to be the most dismal place upon the face of the earth.

The girls had to work hard, like peasants, and the sons, for their part, cultivated the fields to earn their living. Roughly clothed, and living in the simplest way, the girls regretted unceasingly the luxuries and amusements of their former life; only the youngest tried to be brave and cheerful. She had been as sad as anyone when misfortune overtook her father, but, she set to work to make the best of things, to amuse her father and brothers as well as she could, and to try to persuade her sisters to join her in dancing and singing. But they would do nothing of the sort, and, because she was not as doleful as themselves, they declared that this miserable life was all she was fit for. But she was really far prettier and cleverer than they were; indeed, she was so lovely that she was always called Beauty. Her real name was Stella.

After two years, when they were all beginning to get used to their new life, something happened to disturb their tranquility. Their father received the news that one of his ships, which he had believed to be lost, had come safely into port with a rich cargo. The youngest daughter had any doubt but that they would soon again be as rich as they were before, or at least rich enough to live comfortably in some town where they would find amusement and gay companions once more. Her father, noticing her silence, said: "And what shall I bring for you, Stella?"

"The only thing I wish for is to see you come home safely," she answered. Her father, however, was pleased, but as he thought that at her age she certainly ought to like pretty presents, he told her to choose something.

"Well, dear father," she said, "as you insist upon it, I beg that you will bring me a rose. I have not seen one since we came here, and I love them so much."

So the merchant set out and reached the town as quickly as possible. He found out that his former companions, believing him to be dead, had divided between them the goods which the ship had brought; and after six months of trouble and expense he found himself as poor as when he started, having been able to recover only just enough to pay the cost of his journey.

He was obliged to leave the town in the most terrible weather, so that by the time he was within a few leagues of his home he was almost exhausted with cold and fatigue. Though he knew it would take some hours to get through the forest, he was so anxious to be at his journey's end that he resolved to go on; but night overtook him, and the deep snow and bitter frost made it impossible for his horse to carry him any further. The only shelter he could get was the hollow trunk of a great tree, and there he crouched all the night that seemed to him the longest he had ever known. In spite of his weariness the howling of the wolves kept him awake, and even when at last the day broke he was not much better off, for the falling snow had covered up every path, and he did not know which way to turn.

His way led him to the castle. When he reached the first court of the castle, he saw before him a flight of agate steps, went up them, and passed through several splendidly furnished rooms. The pleasant warmth of the air revived him, and he felt very hungry; but there seemed to be nobody in the vast and splendid palace, whom he could ask to give him something to eat. Deep silence reigned everywhere, and at last, tired of roaming through empty rooms and galleries, he stopped in a room smaller than the rest, where a clear fire was burning and a couch was drawn up closely to it. Thinking that this must be prepared for someone who was expected, he sat down to wait until he should come, and very soon fell into a sweet sleep.

When his extreme hunger wakened him after several hours, he was still alone. However, little table, upon which was a good dinner, had been drawn up close to him, and, as he had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, he lost no time in beginning his meal, hoping that he might soon have an opportunity of thanking his considerate entertainer, whoever it might be. But no one appeared. Then he went down into the garden, and though it was winter everywhere else, here the sun shone, and the birds sang, and the flowers bloomed, and the air was soft and sweet. The merchant, in ecstasies with all he saw and heard, said to himself:

"All this must be meant for me. I will go this minute and bring my children to share all these delights."

In spite of being so cold and weary when he reached the castle, he had taken his horse to the stable and fed it. Now he thought he would saddle it for his homeward journey, and he turned down the path, which led to the stable. This path had a hedge of roses on each side of it, and the merchant thought he had never seen or smelt such exquisite flowers. They reminded him of his promise to Beauty, and he stopped and had just gathered one to take to her when he was startled by a strange noise behind him. Turning round, he saw a frightful Beast, which seemed to be very angry and said, in a terrible voice:

"Who told you that you might gather my roses? It was not enough that I let you in my castle and was kind to you? Is this the way, you are showing your gratitude? You are stealing my flowers! But your insolence shall not go unpunished."

The merchant, terrified by these furious words, dropped the fatal rose, and, throwing himself on his knees.

"Pardon me, noble sir. I am truly grateful to you for your hospitality, which was so magnificent that I could not imagine that you would be offended by my taking such a little thing as a rose."

The Beast's anger was not lessened by this speech.

"You are very ready with excuses and flattery," he cried; "but that will not save you from the death you deserve."

"Alas!" thought the merchant, "if my daughter could only know what danger her rose has brought me into!"

And in despair he began to tell the Beast all his misfortunes, and the reason of his journey, not forgetting to mention Stella's request.

"A king's ransom would hardly have procured all that my other daughters asked." he said: "but I thought that I might at least take my Stella her rose. I beg you to forgive me, for you see I meant no harm."

The Beast considered for a moment, but then he spoke.

"I will forgive you on one condition -- that is, that you will give me one of your daughters."

"Ah!" cried the merchant, "if I were cruel enough to buy my own life at the expense of one of my children's, what excuse could I invent to bring her here?"

"No excuse would be necessary," answered the Beast. "If she comes at all she must come willingly. On no other condition will I have her. See if any one of them loves you well enough to come and save your life. You seem to be an honest man, so I will trust you to go home. I give you a month. If neither of them is willing, you must come alone, after bidding them good-by forever, for then you will belong to me. And do not imagine that you can hide from me, for if you fail to keep your word I will come and fetch you!" The Beast added grimly.

The merchant accepted this proposal, though he did not really think any of his daughters could be persuade to come. He promised to return at the time appointed, and he asked permission to set off at once. The Beast answered that he could not go until next day.

"Then you will find a horse ready for you," he said. "Now go and eat your supper, and await my orders. Do not get up to-morrow," he added, "until you see the sun and hear a golden bell ring. Then you will find your breakfast waiting for you here, and the horse you are to ride will be ready in the courtyard. He will also bring you back again when you come with your daughter a month hence. Farewell. Take a rose to your Beauty daughter Stella, and remember your promise!"

The merchant was very glad when the Beast went away, and though he could not sleep for sadness, he lay down until the sun rose. Before his way back home, he went to gather Beauty's rose.

His sons and daughters, who had been very uneasy at his long absence, rushed to meet him, eager to know the result of his journey, which, seeing him mounted upon a splendid horse and wrapped in a rich mantle, they supposed to be favorable. He hid the truth from them at first, only saying sadly to Stella as he gave her the rose:

"Here is what you asked me to bring you; you little know what it has cost."

He told them for all of his difficulties among his way. The girls lamented loudly over their lost hopes, and the sons declared that their father should not return to this terrible castle, and began to make plans for killing the Beast if it should come to fetch him. He reminded them that he had promised to go back. All of them were very angry with Stella, and said it was all her fault and that if she had asked for something sensible this would never have happened. She looked sad to them.

" Who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of summer would cause so much misery? As I did the mischief, it is only just that I should suffer for it. I will go back with my father to keep his promise."

As the time drew near, she said good-by to everything she loved, and when the fatal day came, she encouraged and cheered her father as they mounted together the horse, which had brought him back. It seemed to fly rather than gallop. While they were talking the night fell, and then, to their great surprise, wonderful colored lights began to shine in all directions, and splendid fireworks blazed out before them; all the forest was illuminate by them. This lasted until they reached the avenue of orange trees, and when they got nearer to the palace, they saw that it was illuminate from the roof to the ground, and music sounded softly from the courtyard.

"The Beast must be very hungry," said Stella, trying to laugh.

The horse stopped at the foot of the flight of steps leading to the terrace, and when they had dismounted her father led her to the little room he had been in before, where they found a splendid fire burning, and the table daintily spread with a delicious supper.

The merchant knew that this had meant for them, and Stella was quite willing to begin, for her long ride had made her very hungry. They had hardly finished their meal when the noise of the Beast's footsteps had heard approaching, and Beauty clung to her father in terror, which became all the greater when she saw how frightened he was. When the Beast really appeared, though she trembled at the sight of him, she made a great effort to hide her terror, and saluted him respectfully. This evidently pleased the Beast. After looking at her, he said, in a tone that might have struck terror into the boldest heart, though he did not seem to be angry:

"Good evening, old man. Good evening, Beauty."

"Good evening, Beast." Beauty answered sweetly

"Have you come willingly? Will you be content to stay here when your father goes away?" She just nodded. "I am pleased with you," said the Beast. "As you have come of your own accord, you may stay. As for you, old man," he added, turning to the merchant, "at sunrise tomorrow you will take your departure. Remember that you must never expect to see my palace again." Then he turned to Stella. "Take your father into the next room, and help him to choose everything you think your brothers and sisters would like to have. You will find two traveling-trunks there; fill them as full as you can. It is only just that you should send them something very precious as a remembrance of yourself." Then he went away.

Stella was afraid to disobey the Beast's orders; and they went into the next room, which had shelves and cupboards all round it. They were greatly surprised at the riches it contained.

"I think, father," she said, "that, as the gold will be more useful to you, we had better take out the other things again, and fill the trunks with it." So they did this and returned to the little room, where they found breakfast ready. The merchant ate his with a good appetite, as the Beast's generosity made him believe that he might perhaps venture to come back soon and see Stella. She felt sure that her father was leaving her forever, so she was very sad when the bell rang sharply for the second time, and warned them that the time had come for them to part. They went down into the courtyard, where two horses were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for him to ride.

Stella began to cry, and wandered sadly back to her own room. She soon found that she was very sleepy, and as she had nothing better to do she lay down and instantly fell asleep. Stella dreamed that she was walking by a brook bordered with trees, and lamenting her sad fate, when a young prince, handsomer than anyone she had ever seen, and with a voice that went straight to her heart, came and said to her,

_"Hey Beauty Stella! You are not, as unfortunate as you suppose. Here you will be reward for all you have suffered elsewhere. Your every wish shall be gratified. Only try to find me out, no matter how I may be disguised, as I love you dearly, and in making me happy you will find your own happiness. Be as true-hearted as you are beautiful, and we shall have nothing left to wish for."_

_"What can I do, Prince, to make you happy?" Stella whispered._

_"Only be grateful," he answered, "and do not trust too much to your eyes. And, above all, do not desert me until you have saved me from my cruel misery."_

_After this, she thought she found herself in a room with a stately and beautiful woman, who said to her:_

_"Dear Beauty, try not to regret all you have left behind you, for you are destined to a better fate. Only do not let yourself be deceived by appearances."_

The clock roused her by calling her name softly twelve times, and then she got up and found her dressing table set out with everything she could possibly want. When her toilet was finished, she found dinner was waiting in the room next to hers. Very soon, she sat down cosily in the corner of a sofa, and began to think about the charming Prince she had seen in her dream.

"He said I could make him happy," said Stella to herself. "It seems, then, that this horrible Beast keeps him a prisoner. How can I set him free? I wonder why they both told me not to trust to appearances? I don't understand it." She shook her head and decided to round up the rooms of the castle.

The first she entered had lined with mirrors. Then a bracelet, which was hanging from a chandelier, caught her eye, and on taking it down, she was greatly surprised to find that it held a portrait of her unknown admirer, just as she had seen him in her dream. She slipped the bracelet on her arm, and went on into a gallery of pictures, where she soon found a portrait of the same handsome Prince. The next room was a library and she saw everything she had ever wanted to read, as well as everything she had read, and it seemed to her that a whole lifetime would not be enough to even read the names of the books, there were so many. By this time it was growing dusk, and wax candles in diamond and ruby candlesticks were beginning to light themselves in every room.

Beauty found her supper served just at the time she preferred to have it, but she did not see anyone or hear a sound, and, though her father had warned her that she would be alone, she began to find it rather dull. She heard the Beast coming, and wondered tremblingly if he meant to eat her up now. However, as he did not seem at all ferocious, and only said gruffly:

"Good evening, Stella," she answered cheerfully and managed to conceal her terror. Then the Beast asked her how she had been amusing herself, and she told him all the rooms she had seen.

Then he asked if she thought she could be happy in his palace; and Stella answered that everything was so beautiful that she would be very hard to please if she could not be happy. After about an hour's talk Beauty began to think that, the Beast was not nearly as terrible as she had supposed at first. Then he got up to leave her, and said in his gruff voice:

"Do you love me, Beauty Stella? Will you marry me?"

"Oh! What shall I say?" cried Stella, for she was afraid to make the Beast angry by refusing.

"Say 'yes' or 'no' without fear," he replied.

"Oh! No, Beast," said Stella hastily.

"Since you will not, good night, Stella," he said.

"Good night, Beast,"

After he was gone she was very soon in bed and asleep, and dreaming of her unknown Prince. She thought he came and said to her:

_"Ah, Stella! Why are you so unkind to me? I fear I am fated to be unhappy for many a long day still."_

When morning came, her first thought was to look at the portrait, and see if it was really like him, and she found that it certainly was.

This morning she decided to amuse herself in the garden, for the sun shone, and all the fountains were playing. She was astonished to find that every place was familiar to her, and presently she came to the brook where the myrtle trees were growing where she had first met the Prince in her dream, and that made her think more than ever that the Beast must keep him a prisoner. When she was tired, she went back to the palace, and found a new room full of materials for every kind of work -- ribbons to make into bows, and silks to work into flowers. Then there was an aviary full of rare birds, which were so tame that they flew to Stella as soon as they saw her, and perched upon her shoulders and her head.

The Beast paid her his usual visit, and asked her the same questions as before, then with a gruff, "good night" he took his departure, and Beauty went to bed to dream of her mysterious Prince. Every evening after supper the Beast came to see her, and always before saying good night asked her in his terrible voice:

"Beauty, will you marry me?"

And it seemed to Beauty, now she understood him better, that when she said, "No, Beast," he went away quite sad. But her happy dreams of the handsome young Prince soon made her forget the poor Beast, and the only thing that at all disturbed her was to be constantly told to distrust appearances, to let her heart guide her, and not her eyes, and many other equally perplexing things.

Everything went on for a long time, until at last, happy as she was; Beauty began to long for the sight of her father and her brothers and sisters. One night, seeing her look very sad, the Beast asked her what was the matter. Beauty had quite ceased to be afraid of him. Now she knew that he was gentle in spite of his ferocious looks and his dreadful voice. She answered that she was longing to see her home once more. Upon hearing this, the Beast seemed sadly distressed, and cried miserably.

"Ah! Stella, have you the heart to desert an unhappy Beast like this? What more do you want to make you happy? Is it because you hate me that you want to escape?"

"No, dear Beast," answered Stella softly, "I do not hate you, and I should be very sorry never to see you any more, but I long to see my father again. Only let me go for two months, and I promise to come back to you and stay for the rest of my life."

The Beast, who had been sighing dolefully while she spoke, now replied:

"I cannot refuse you anything you ask, even though it should cost me my life. Take the four boxes you will find in the room next to your own, and fill them with everything you wish to take with you. But remember your promise and come back when the two months are over, or you may have cause to repent it, for if you do not come in good time you will find your faithful Beast dead. You will not need any chariot to bring you back. Only say good by to all your brothers and sisters the night before you come away, and when you have gone to bed turn this ring round upon your finger and say firmly: '_I wish to go back to my palace and see my Beast again.'_ Good night, Stella. Fear nothing, sleep peacefully, and before long you shall see your father once more."

As soon as Beauty was alone she hastened to fill the boxes with all the rare and precious things she saw about her, and only when she was tired of heaping things into them did they seem to be full. Then she went to bed, but could hardly sleep for joy. When at last she did begin to dream of her beloved Prince she was grieved to see him stretched upon a grassy bank, sad and weary, and hardly like himself.

_"What is the matter?" she cried. He looked at her reproachfully._

_"How can you ask me, cruel one? Are you not leaving me to my death perhaps?"_

_"Ah! Don't be so sorrowful," Stella cried; "I am only going to assure my father that I am safe and happy. I have promised the Beast faithfully that I will come back, and he would die of grief if I did not keep my word!"_

_"What would that matter to you?" Prince sighed. "Surely you would not care?"_

_"I should be ungrateful if I did not care for such a kind Beast," Stella cried indignantly. "I would die to save him from pain. I assure you it is not his fault that he is so ugly."_

Just then a strange sound woke her -- someone was speaking not very far away; and opening her eyes she found herself in a room she had never seen before, which was certainly not nearly as splendid as those she had used to in the Beast's palace. Where could she be? She got up and dressed hastily, and then saw that the boxes she had packed the night before were all in the room.

The Beast had transported them and herself to a strange place she suddenly heard her father's voice, and rushed out and greeted him joyfully. Her brothers and sisters were all astonished at her appearance. When they heard that she had only come to be with them for a short time, and then must go back to the Beast's palace forever, they lamented loudly. Then Stella asked her father what he thought could be the meaning of her strange dreams, and why the Prince constantly begged her not to trust to appearances. After much consideration, he answered: "You tell me yourself that the Beast, frightful as he is, loves you dearly, and deserves your love and gratitude for his gentleness and kindness; I think the Prince must mean you to understand that you ought to reward him by doing as he wishes you to, in spite of his ugliness."

At any rate, for two months she need not decide, but could enjoy herself with her sisters. However, Stella found that nothing amused her very much; and she often thought of the palace, where she was so happy. After two months had passed away, her father and brothers begged her to stay, and seemed so grieved at the thought of her departure that she had not the courage to say good-bye to them. Every day when she got up, she meant to say it at night, and when night came, she put it off again, until at last she had a dismal dream, which helped her to make up her mind.

_She thought she was wandering in a lonely path in the palace gardens, when she heard groans, which seemed to come from some bushes hiding the entrance of a cave, and running quickly to see what could be the matter, she found the Beast stretched out upon his side, apparently dying. He reproached her faintly with being the cause of his distress, and at the same moment a stately woman appeared, and said very gravely:_

_"Ah! Stella, you are only just in time to save his life. See what happens when people do not keep their promises! If you had delayed one day more, you would have found him dead."_

Stella was so terrified by this dream that the next morning she announced her intention of going back at once. As soon as she was in bed she turned her ring round upon her finger, and said firmly, "I wish to go back to my palace and see my Beast again," as she had been told to do.

Then she fell asleep instantly, and only woke up to hear the clock saying "_Stella, Stella_" twelve times in its musical voice, which told her at once that she was really in the palace once more. Everything was just as before, and her birds were so glad to see her! But Stella thought she had never known such a long day, for she was so anxious to see the Beast again that she felt as if suppertime would never come.

When it did come and no Beast appeared she was really frightened; so, after listening and waiting for a long time, she ran down into the garden to search for him. Up and down the paths and avenues ran poor Stella, calling him in vain, for no one answered, and not a trace of him could she find; until at last, quite tired, she stopped for a minute's rest, and saw that she was standing opposite the shady path she had seen in her dream. She rushed down it, and, sure enough, there was the cave, and in it laid the Beast -- asleep, as Stella thought. Quite glad to have found him, she ran up and stroked his head, but, to her horror, he did not move or open his eyes.

"Oh! He is dead and it is all my fault," said Stella, crying bitterly. But then, looking at him again, she fancied he still breathed, and, hastily fetching some water from the nearest fountain, she sprinkled it over his face, and, to her great delight, he began to revive.

"Oh! Beast, how you frightened me!" she cried. "I never knew how much I loved you until just now, when I feared I was too late to save your life."

"Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?" said the Beast faintly. "Ah! Beauty Stella, you only came just in time. I was dying because I thought you had forgotten your promise. But go back now and rest, I shall see you again by and by."

Stella, who had half expected that he would be angry with her, was reassured by his gentle voice, and went back to the palace. The supper was awaiting her; and afterward the Beast came in as usual.

Stella quite enjoyed told him all that had happened to her. When at last, the time came for him to go, he asked, as he had so often asked before.

"Beauty, will you marry me?"

"Yes, dear Beast." She answered softly.

As she spoke, a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the palace; fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fireflies, was written: _"Long live the Prince and his Bride."_

Turning to ask the Beast what it could all mean, Stella found that he had disappeared, and in his place stood her long-loved Prince! At the same moment, the wheels of a chariot were heard upon the terrace, and two women entered the room. One of them Stella recognized as the stately lady she had seen in her dreams; the other was also so grand and queenly that Stella hardly knew which to greet first. But the one she already knew said to her companion:

"Well, Queen, this is Stella, who has had the courage to rescue your son Noctis from the terrible enchantment. They love one another, and only your consent to their marriage wants to make them perfectly happy."

"I consent with all my heart," cried the Queen. "How can I ever thank you enough, charming girl, for having restored my dear son to his natural form?"

She tenderly embraced Stella and Prince Noctis, who had meanwhile been greeting the Fairy and receiving her congratulations.

"Now," said the Fairy to Stella, "I suppose you would like me to send for all your brothers and sisters to dance at your wedding?"

The marriage was celebrated the very next day with the utmost splendor, and Stella and Noctis lived happily ever after.

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**_Motive used from 'Beauty and the Beast 'by Madame de Villeneuve_**

**_Stella/Noctis interpretation of the story. Some of the original text from the fairytale has been used for fan purposes only!_**


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